Top Ten Education State

In every classroom across our great state – from Monroe to Manistee and Mt. Pleasant to Marquette – every Michigan student deserves access and opportunity to the educational resources and support to realize a bright future. 

Yet for too long, Michigan’s education system has served as an engine of inequality when it should be providing opportunities for all students to achieve at high levels. 

Longstanding educational inequities compounded by the daunting challenges of teaching and learning through a pandemic bring us to a moment of important opportunity where strong state leadership and significant systems changes are critical for Michigan’s educational recovery from pre-kindergarten through high school. 

The Education Trust-Midwest has long supported evidence-based strategies, including those from leading education states, that will put Michigan on a path to be a top ten education state for every Michigan student. 

results in High Standards and Rigorous Assessment.
  • Mich Ed Update – Sept 5

    Back to School As Michigan students, teachers and administrators head back to school we wish everyone a very successful school year!Equity and Transparency: Cr…

  • 2018 M-STEP Aggregate Results

    Michigan’s Early Literacy Investments are Not Closing the Achievement Gap  The Achievement Gap in Grade 8 Math Persists  Statewide Proficiency Rate…

  • Equity And Transparency: Critical Focus Areas For Michigan

    New state assessment data reinforces challenges and opportunities for state’s students and educational improvement efforts ROYAL OAK, Mich. (Aug. 29, 2018) – T…

  • Comment From The Education Trust-Midwest On Request For ESSA Waiver On Science Assessments

    The Education Trust-Midwest (ETM) recognizes the importance of developing and field testing assessment tools that measure current state standards, provide pare…

  • Leveraging the Power of Data for Strategic Learning and Improvement

    A recently released report by The Education Trust-Midwest leveraged the power of comparative state assessment data to provide fresh insight on Michigan’s early…

  • Mich. Ed. Roundup – November 28

    November is Native American Heritage MonthSince 1990, American presidents have proclaimed each November as Native American Heritage Month to recognize “the sig…

  • Mich. Ed. Roundup – November 7

    Take Action! Oppose Test ChangesThe Michigan Department of Education recently announced significant changes to the end-of-year assessment, the M-STEP, marking …

  • Mich. Ed. Roundup – October 31

    Take Action! Oppose Test ChangesThe Michigan Department of Education recently announced significant changes to the end-of-year assessment, the M-STEP, marking …

  • Mich. Ed. Roundup – October 24

    MDE Confirms Major M-STEP ChangesOn Thursday, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) announced major changes to end-of-year testing, coming for the third t…

  • Mich. Ed. Roundup – October 3

    Equitable access to strong teachers critical for underserved studentsBlack, Latino and Native students, and students from low-income families, are less likely …

  • Mich. Ed. Roundup – September 5

    M-STEP Results Show Need to Build on Progress, Not Reset the ClockResults from the Michigan Student Test for Educational Progress (M-STEP) released last Tuesda…

  • M-STEP Results Show Need to Build on Progress, Not Reset the Clock

    ROYAL OAK, Mich. (Aug. 29, 2017) – Today’s release of the results from the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) conducted last spring means t…

  • Mich. Ed. Roundup – June 20

    Why We’re Worried About Assessment Changes…And Why You Should Be TooLast week, Ed Trust-Midwest summarized the highlights, and lowlights, of the proposed state…

  • Mich. Ed. Roundup – June 6

    State's M-STEP Implementation Shows Major ProgressLast week, Michigan students finished the third round of annual state assessments using the Michigan Student …

  • Mich. Ed. Roundup – April 11

    MDE Chooses Expediency Over TransparencyIn late March, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) sent a revised state education plan to Governor Rick Snyder f…

  • Testimony on House Bill 4192, State Standards Repeal Bill

    Chairman Chatfield and members of the House Committee on Michigan Competitiveness:Several years ago, Michigan began to see growing recognition of troubling tre…

  • Mich. Ed. Roundup – March 14

    ETM Urges MDE to Reconsider Backtrack on Honest Public Reporting and AccountabilityEarlier today, The Education Trust-Midwest urged State Superintendent Brian …

  • Dropping the M-STEP could ‘sabotage’ new school accountability system, group argues

    by Brian McVicar, MLiveChanging Michigan's standardized test could "undermine" a new school accountability system proposed by the Michigan Department of Educat…

  • High academic standards help all students succeed

    by Cheryl CorpusHigh academic standards are needed now more than ever.Growing up in a rural, blue-collar town here in Michigan, I often struggled to understand…

  • Mich. Ed. Roundup – Feb 14

    MDE Releases Draft ESSA PlanEarlier today, the Michigan Department of Education released their draft plan for implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA…